WHAT REALLY GOES ON AT THOSE C.A.R. MEETINGS?
FRUSTRATING VOICE MAIL PHRASES—AND HOW TO FIX THEM
MORE CRACKS IN THE HOUSING RUN
THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE
on page 10
on page 42
on page 48
on page 24 NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018
OUR ANNUAL
VETERANS TRIBUTE
Orange County REALTORS® offers a special photo salute to our REALTOR® and Affiliate members who have served the United States of America in uniform. on pages 26–29
TECH ISSUE Whether you are totally tech savvy at the keyboard or are often all thumbs when operating your cell phone, you’ll find something helpful here as our writers explain how to use Instagram more effectively, how to design marketing material like a pro, and what happens when Artificial Intelligence meets Blockchain. on pages 32–38 Follow us on social media (see page 6)
CONTENTS p. 26 NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018
20 M LS Forum Offers Updates, App
and Product Reviews, and a Report from the DRE Mentioned are Homesnap Pro, Cloud MLX, CRMLS Compliance, and DRE audits.
24 Realty Reality: Thank Them for Their Service
Bob Hunt encourages readers to express their gratitude to the men and women who defend our country and our dreams.
40 REALTOR® Alert! Get the 411 on
Cover Story: Annual Veterans Tribute 26 Orange County REALTORS® Veterans Tribute
Featuring photos of REALTOR® and Affiliate members who have served in uniform, at home or abroad, either to wage war or to keep the peace.
Tech Issue: Putting Technology to Work for Real Estate 32 Design Tips for the Novice Marketer
ichelle McCann tells you how to create attractive and effective M collateral.
34 5 Steps to Instagram Pro Status
Marissa Hughes helps you increase your viewership by adding excitement to your posts.
36 When Artificial Intelligence Meets Blockchain
Dr. Aleksandar Velkoski says these technologies will improve the accuracy, accessibility, utilization, and sense-making of real estate data.
President’s Message
the Code of Ethics Requirement
If you have not already done so, you must complete NAR Code of Ethics training by December 31, 2018.
42 T he Five Most Frustrating Voice Mail Phrases
Nancy Friedman identifies these phrases and tells you how to fix them.
44 P ay Your Dues Early for a Chance to Win!
Your 2019 dues payment is due on Monday, January 7. Pay in full online for an opportunity to receive a refund of some or all of your dues.
48 The Orange County Housing Update
Steven Thomas finds more cracks in the housing run.
56 Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
8 2018 Has Been a Year of Change
ammy Newland-Shishido recounts a remarkable year of involvement T and accomplishment.
State Update
As a holiday gift to readers, OC REALTOR® reprints this much-beloved editorial, which was originally penned in 1897.
10 What Really Goes on at Those C.A.R. Meetings?
tate Director Rita Tayenaka answers this question and invites you S to become involved.
p. 8
p. 10
p. 42
p. 48
p. 12
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CONTENTS
ORANGE COUNTY
® REALTOR MAGAZINE p. 56
25552 La Paz Road Laguna Hills, CA 92653
10540 Talbert Avenue, Ste. 225 West Fountain Valley, CA 92708
949.586.6800
714.375.9313
www.ocar.org 2018 OFFICERS Tammy Newland-Shishido President Matt Clements President-Elect Adam Rodell Treasurer Craig Borner Immediate Past President Dave Stefanides Chief Executive Officer
2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Josh Atwood Mary Jane Cambria Danielle Corliss Sandra Deering Joyce Endo Dorinda Francois Bob Hartman Tim Hayden Len Herman Jenean Hill
p. 36
Departments 12
Names in the News
30
Education Central: Upcoming Classes by Track
46
Mentions
54
Affiliates in Action: New REALTOR® Orientations
Gary Ludwig Charleen Nagata Newhouse Eileen Oldroyd Lacy Robertson Aaron Rosen Jamie Saltman Lisa Schulz Michele Williams Harrington Scott White Bob Wolff
MAGAZINE STAFF Sabrina Blair
Breanna Reed
Director of Communications sabrina@ocar.org
Accounting Assistant breanna@ocar.org
Sherri Butterfield
Albert Ornelas
Communications Specialist sherri@ocar.org
Multimedia Specialist albert@ocar.org
Online Magazine
Love the Orange County REALTOR®? Did you know that you can read it online, anytime? Read past issues at www.ocar.org/magazine.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Orange County REALTORS® is to promote the REALTOR® Code of Ethics; to provide education, services, and resources to our members; and to advocate the protection of real property rights.
Notice to All Members
p. 20
On the Cover
World War I officially ended one hundred years ago with an armistice on November 11, 1918. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day to honor veterans of that war. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed H.R. 7786, which changed the name of this holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all who had served the United States of America in uniform. In this issue, we solemnly salute and thank those who have served.
Follow us on social media facebook.com/theocrealtors twitter.com/the_ocrealtors
instagram.com/theocrealtors snapchat.com/add/ocrealtors
It is the long-established policy of this Association, the California Association of REALTORS®, and the National Association of REALTORS® to adhere to both the letter and spirit of the federal and state antitrust laws. For their own protection, members should be aware of the antitrust laws as they affect their specific business activities. Any illegal activity under the state and federal antitrust laws is not in compliance with Association policy, nor is it in the interests of the Association or its members. Participation in Association activities must occur only in harmony with these very important laws. Federal law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate, in advertising the sale or rental of housing, in the financing of housing, and the provision of real estate brokerage services. The Orange County REALTOR® editor reserves the right to review and edit all submissions. Orange County REALTORS® makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily the opinions of the Orange County REALTORS®. Orange County REALTORS® does not necessarily endorse the companies, products, or services advertised in this magazine unless specifically stated. The Orange County REALTOR® (USPS 025-445, ISSN 1945-2179) Volume 10, Issue 6, is published by the Orange County REALTORS®, 25552 La Paz Road, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Periodicals postage paid at Laguna Beach, CA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Orange County REALTORS®, 25552 La Paz Road, Laguna Hills, CA 92653-5127. Annual membership dues include $3.13 for a one-year (6 issues) subscription to the Orange County REALTOR® magazine. The Orange County REALTOR® magazine cannot be responsible for unsolicited materials. Publisher: Orange County REALTORS® Printer: The Monaco Group
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
2018 Has Been
a Year of Change, Involvement, and Accomplishment
for Orange County
REALTORS®
Thank you to those whose energy, effort, encouragement, and support made it possible. And blessings to all in this holiday season and throughout the year.
T
his is my last message to you as President of Orange County REALTORS®. It has been a privilege to be on this journey with you this year. We have accomplished many great things, including our new branding, image, and name. Our Leadership Development Committee has helped in many areas. Our Leadership Academy is in its third year, and we have developed more than sixty graduates. Each year, the Academy will be presenting a class project that benefits our Association and our members.
Members of the class of 2019 have started their legacy project and are working with the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) to educate the public regarding Propositions 5 and 10. With the election being this close, the Academy’s work will speak volumes about REALTORS® and our Association.
2018 PRESIDENT, ORANGE COUNTY REALTORS®
Our Independent Broker Forums, MLS Forums, and Risk Management Forums are well attended. Our Annual Meeting was informational, and we created a new relationship with the Irvine Spectrum.
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Photo: Beth Mondillo
By Tammy Newland-Shishido
This year, we started an Outreach Program to large brokers with a reception and a Broker Summit to which we invited 140 brokers for market updates, risk management information, and a networking opoportunity.
Photo: Marion Butterfield
Tammy Newland-Shishido is shown with Steve White, Lacy Robertson, Joyce Endo, and Dave Stefanides.
When you step up into a leadership role, it takes years of work and then you serve one year. Anytime I say yes to a leadership position, I say no to something else. And I believe in working hard and playing hard. I look forward to watching more great things come from Matt Clements, Danielle Corliss, and our leaders in the future. In this issue of OC REALTOR®, the focus is on technology and on our veterans. I have the highest respect for anyone who serves our country in uniform. My grandfather, father, father-in law, brothers, and nephews either are serving or have served in the U.S Army, the Marine Corps, or the Reserves. I admire all who have served and thank you for your service. Another way in which people serve our country is as elected officials. On November 6, we have an opportunity to help REALTOR® -friendly candidates get elected and to make our voices heard on key issues. Get out to vote! I look forward to the Installation of 2019 President Matt Clements and the 2019 Board of Directors on December 5 at the Angels Lexus Diamond Club in Anaheim. I hope to see many of you there and at the holiday events we have coming up. But most of all, I thank all of you who have served with me, supported me, or stood by me this year. I am thankful for all of you and wish blessings on you and your families in this holiday season and throughout the coming year.
OC REALTOR®
“In this issue of OC REALTOR ®, the focus is on technology and on our veterans. I have the highest respect for anyone who serves our country in uniform. My grandfather, father, father-in law, brothers, and nephews either are serving or have served in the U.S Army, the Marine Corps, or the Reserves. I admire all who have served and thank you for your service.”
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018
9
A SPECIAL MESSAGE
What Really
Goes on at Those
C.A.R. Meetings?
Behind the photos from golf tournaments and networking dinners are endless volunteer hours of dedicated effort to change legislation and the real estate industry in ways that will benefit both REALTORS® and their clients.
T
As a REALTOR at home, you may see posts with photos showing views from hotel rooms or groups of people at networking dinners. What you don’t see are the endless hours that these REALTORS® give from their busy schedules to make the real estate industry better. ®
What happens at these meetings? This is where the advocacy for state legislative changes goes on. This is where we put forth ballot initiatives and ask for support from our elected officials for real estate–related issues. This is where Yes on Proposition 5 (portability of your property tax) and No on Proposition 10 (rent control) came from. This is where we have taken a position to ask the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to reduce mortgage insurance premiums over time as home equity rises. This is where we have sought to index the caps on state and
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RITA TAYENAKA DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Photos: www.istockphoto.com/ Art Wager/ Mihajlo Maricic
hree times a year, several of your fellow REALTORS® go to state meetings for the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). These meetings, which usually begin on Monday and end on Saturday, entail days that start at 8:00 a.m. and last until 6:00 p.m. or later, depending on the business at hand.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE
local tax (SALT) deductions and the mortgage interest deduction (MID) and to eliminate the SALT cap marriage penalty. This year, we also discussed capital gains taxes, and we are working for state legislation that would give a tax credit to first-time California homebuyers. We also support—or oppose—local ballot issues involving such things as city property transfer taxes and local rent control. We fund housing affordability programs for local associations like Fresno’s program for veterans with home-buying cost credit and Northern Solano County’s credit to first-time homebuyers. And we award grants to underserved individuals who are looking to expand their real estate education. Members of the Forms Committee look at each and every comment submitted by REALTORS® regarding forms. This year, they had 130 comments to consider when they began the review process. Over the years, this commentand-review process has resulted in the revision of some existing forms and the release of new ones. For example, beginning in December, the buyer’s agent will no longer need to have a separate agency form for the seller to sign. Many forms will be changed because of this revision. We hear, discuss, and try to resolve issues regarding vacation rentals, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) liens, and air quality. We ask the National Association of REALTORS® to change the frequency of the Code of Ethics requirement from every two years to every four years. And we work on changes to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) rules. So when you see photos from golf tournaments, mixers, and REimagine with fun at the expo, spin classes for good causes, and more, know that behind the photos and the fun, there are many REALTORS® working to make your industry stronger and better. If this effort sounds interesting to you, become more involved at the local level so that you will be a prepared to make a meaningful difference when it is your turn to do so at the state level. Rita Tayenaka is a director of both the National Association of REALTORS® and the California Association of REALTORS®. She is broker/owner of Coast to Canyon Real Estate in Mission Viejo and served as president of Orange County REALTORS® in 2015. Her email address is rita@rita4homes.com.
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NAMES IN THE NEWS
Orange County REALTORS® Hosts RAF Reception
In late September, Orange County REALTORS® hosted an appreciation event at Andrei’s Restaurant in Irvine for members who had donated generously to the REALTOR® Action Fund (RAF). Monies from the Fund are used to support the passage of laws that benefit the real estate industry, to defeat laws that will harm the industry, to help REALTOR®-friendly candidates get elected, and to enable Orange County REALTORS® to maintain strong working relationships with elected officials.
Nicole Suydam Takes the Reins at Goodwill
Effective October 15, Nicole Suydam became president and chief executive officer for Goodwill of Orange County. Before joining Goodwill, Nicole served as CEO for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County where, in 2017 alone, she guided a network of more than two hundred community partners and oversaw the distribution of more than 25 million meals to individuals and families in need. Nicole had worked for Goodwill as vice president of development before taking the reins at Second Harvest in 2012.
Mayor Tri Ta Fills Water Board Vacancy
The Orange County Water District (OCWD) Board of Directors voted on September 5 to appoint Tri Ta, mayor of Westminster, to represent Division 4 on that board. The seat became vacant upon the death in July of Philip L. Anthony, who had served on the board for nearly thirty-seven years. Division 4 includes the cities of Los Alamitos and Seal Beach and parts of Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton, and Westminster.
Tommy Thompson Named CEO of NSDCAR
Tommy Thompson, who has served as senior vice president of the California Apartment Association (CAA) for the past six years, was recently named chief executive officer for the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS® (NSDCAR). Before joining CAA, Tommy spent six years as director of government affairs for the Building Industry Association of Southern California’s Riverside County Chapter. His resume also includes having served as president of the Nuview Union School District Board of Trustees during a four-year term that began in 2008.
This Names in the News column is intended to be primarily a place where Orange County REALTORS® and Affiliate members can share both personal and professional news—about births (of children or grandchildren), graduations, weddings, anniversaries, accomplishments, awards, and other milestones—with one another. If you have news to share, email it to OC REALTOR ® Writer and Editor Sherri Butterfield at Sherri@ocar.org. 12
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NAMES IN THE NEWS
Wayne Woodyard Receives Pinnacle Award
Shown here with Brian Calle (second from right) are Lake Forest City Council Candidate Neeki Moatazedi, Joyce Endo, and Dennis O’Connor.
Photos by Marion Butterfield
At the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) 2018 Palm Springs National Conference in early October, NAGLREP Founder Jeff Berger (on the left) presented a Pinnacle Award to former Orange County REALTORS® President Wayne Woodyard. The Pinnacle Award, NAGLREP’s highest honor, is presented annually to those who are devoted to the success of NAGLREP and supportive of the LGBT community.
Econ PAC Examines the Impact of Media on Local Politics In late September, the South Orange County Economic Coalition Political Action Committee (Econ PAC) hosted a discussion of the ways in which media impact local politics at the Wine Artist in Lake Forest. Asking the questions was EconPAC Board Chair Paul Simonds (on the left), and answering those questions was Brian Calle, former opinion
editor for the Orange County Register and now owner and publisher of LA Weekly. Calle said, “One of the things President Trump has done really effectively is call out the newspapers as ‘fake news.’” When Simonds asked, “What is fake news?” Calle responded, “Biased reporting, and most of today’s newsrooms are guilty. As a result, the industry is failing to capture the public trust. What’s needed in news is an opinion-free narrative—a return to the old who, what, when, where, and how.” Continued on Page 14
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NAMES IN THE NEWS
Continued from Page 13
warehouse at 1825 E. Via Burton in Anaheim. This nonprofit organization provides active members of the military, veterans, and their families with home furnishings and matches them with rescued companion animals.
Event Raises $60,000 for HB Foundation
Stuart Thomas, who is CEO/Broker/Owner for RE/MAX Select One, reports that approximately four hundred people from real estate offices, Affiliate partners, and local businesses attended the ninth annual Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation fundraiser in September and that the event raised $60,000 for the Foundation. Stuart teamed up with Frank McDowell to create this event nine years ago.
Lake Forest Becomes Debt Free Friends Gather to Support Wendy Bucknum
In mid-September, friends gathered at the home of John Ben (second from right) to support Mission Viejo Council Member Wendy Bucknum (center) in her bid for reelection. Shown with Wendy and John are (from left to right) Jeff Lodder, a former Mission Viejo Company executive; former Mission Viejo Mayor Dave Leckness, who owns Kwik Kopy Printing of Mission Viejo; and Mission Viejo Council Member Brian Goodell, an Olympic gold medalist who has been in real estate for thirty years and, with his wife Vicki, owns the Gold Medal Group.
Assemblyman Choi Honors Patriots and Paws
Assemblyman Steven Choi recently honored Patriots and Paws as the 2018 68th Assembly District Small Business of the Year. Founded in 2011 by Penny Lambright, Patriots and Paws has grown from six storage units to its present 5,200-square-foot
On October 2, the Lake Forest City Council notified Bank of America that the City will fully repay its only outstanding bonds, the $7 million that funded the completion of Alton Parkway, which will make Lake Forest the largest debt-free city in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). Lake Forest is one of only eight cities in CalPERS with zero unfunded pension liability.
Happy Anniversary to the Hunts!
On October 10, Bob and Nancy Hunt celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary while attending the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) Meetings in Long Beach. The Hunts have long been active in real estate at the local, state, and national levels. Both Bob and Nancy have been honored as REALTOR® of the Year by Orange County REALTORS®, named Honorary Members-for-Life by C.A.R., and granted Emeritus Status by the National Association of REALTORS®.
Continued on Page 16
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NAMES IN THE NEWS
Continued from Page 14
Photos by Marion Butterfield
C.A.R. Wins the Royalty Award
At the Eighth Annual Roses, Radishes, and the Royalty Awards Dinner on September 26, the Orange County Taxpayers Association (OCTax) gave its coveted Royalty Award to the California Association of REALTORS® in recognition of the Association’s efforts to educate not only its membership but also members of the public regarding the ways in which Proposition 13 benefits all property owners. Accepting the award on behalf of the Association is 2018 C.A.R. President Steve White (center). Shown with Steve are OCTax Chairman Chip Monaco and OCTax President and CEO Carolyn Cavecche.
Honored with a Rose Award was Orange County ClerkRecorder Hugh Nguyen (on the left), who has led a collaborative effort with Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego Counties that enables government agencies to submit documents electronically to various partner counties and receive rapid recording confirmation. The volume in this system has grown from slightly more than 70,000 to almost 300,000 documents, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars. Shown with Hugh are 2018 Orange County REALTORS® President Tammy Newland-Shishido, 2018 C.A.R. President Steve White, and Orange County REALTORS® Director Eileen Oldroyd.
Continued on Page 18
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NAMES IN THE NEWS
Continued from Page 16
Photos by Marion Butterfield
Lake Forest Chamber Hosts Legislative Luncheon
On September 20, the Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce hosted a Legislative Luncheon at the Lake Forest Beach and Tennis Club. Speakers for this event were Congresswoman Mimi Walters, who represents California’s 45th District; state Senate Minority Leader Pat Bates, who represents the 36th Senate District; Assemblyman Steven Choi, who represents the 68th Assembly District, and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who represents Orange County’s Fifth District.
Pictured at the Legislative Luncheon are (from left to right) Jeffrey Jackson, Aliso Viejo Councilman Mike Munzing, Joyce Endo, Laguna Niguel Councilman Fred Minegar, Assemblyman Steven Choi, Lou Penrose, Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, former San Juan Capistrano Mayor John Taylor, Congresswoman Mimi Walters, and C.A.R. Key Contact Lisa Yi.
In answer to a question about how the imbalance between parties in California will affect the Golden State, Pat Bates (on the right) responded, “Our core values reflect a desire for local control and less government, which is why we incorporated. We are focusing on local issues and quality of life. We view ourselves, not as Democrats or as Republicans, but as the community of Orange County.” Mimi added, “There is a lot of discussion in the media about dissension between parties, but there is a lot of bipartisanship at the federal level. We care about our quality of life and about the future for our families and for our children and grandchildren.”
Summer Sunset Bash Celebrates California Surfing Day was introduced in the state Legislature earlier this year by state Senator Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove).
It’s official! In August, the California Legislature named surfing as the state’s official sport and christened September 20 as California Surfing Day with a slogan of “Stop, Drop and Surf!” This legislative action was the result of Senate Concurrent Resolution 122, which 18
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2018
A Summer Sunset Bash at Proud Mary’s Restaurant in Dana Point on September 20 proved to be the perfect way to celebrate California’s first-ever Surfing Day and to support Senate Republican Leader Pat Bates in her bid for reelection to the state Senate. Pictured with Pat are California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte (on the left) and Dana Point Mayor Pro Tem Joe Muller.
OC REALTOR®
Greeting Senator Pat Bates after the event is Orange County REALTORS® President-Elect Matt Clements. Coincidentally, Matt, who is a fourth-generation REALTOR®, is also an avid surfer!
NAMES IN THE NEWS
Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens Receives Lifetime Achievement Award At the Sixth Annual Women of Character Awards Event hosted by the Marian Bergeson Excellence in Public Services Series, the group presented its Marian Bergeson Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 to Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens (center). Shown with Sheriff Hutchens are (from left to right) state Senator Janet Nguyen, Marian Bergeson Series Board President Linda Ackerman, Marian Bergeson Series Alumnus of the Year Rita Topalian (from the Class of 2004), and state Senator Pat Bates. In 2008, while serving together on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, both Senators cast votes in favor of appointing Hutchens to the position of sheriff.
Photo by Marion Butterfield
Congratulations to Jessica Siguenza At the REimagine Conference, Jessica Siguenza (on the left) was named C.A.R.’s YPN Team Co-MVP.
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OC REALTORS® COMMITTEES
MLS Forum Offers Updates, App and Product Reviews, and a Report from the DRE The agenda included an update from CRMLS, introductions to the Homesnap Pro app and to Cloud MLX, a recap of common CRMLS data compliance issues, and a report about the DRE’s ongoing transition from bureau back to department. By Sherri Butterfield WRITER AND EDITOR
On September 25, the Orange County REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Committee hosted an MLS Forum at the Mission Viejo Country Club. Among items on the agenda were an update from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), a presentation regarding the Homesnap Pro app, an introduction to Cloud MLX, a briefing about CRMLS data compliance, and remarks from the Acting Commissioner of the California Department of Real Estate. What follows are some of the ideas offered during that forum.
MLS Update
Amy A. Ulloa-Zúñiga, Director of Broker Resources, CRMLS The California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS) is your Multiple Listing Service (MLS). It has thirty-eight participating Associations of REALTORS® representing 93,500 members and seventeen data shares. As of September 19, we welcomed the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS® (NSDCAR) and the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® (PSAR) to the CRMLS family. New data shares coming on board include the bridgeMLS. Previously known as East Bay Regional Data (EBRD), it serves the OaklandBerkeley area in Northern California. Another recent service area expansion is to the Victor Valley–Big Bear–Lake Arrowhead area. Data share agreements make it unnecessary for REALTORS® to join multiple REALTOR®
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Associations as secondary members or to join more than one Multiple Listing Service so that they can gain access to real estate data. For access to broker resources, visit either crmls.org/broker or crmls.org/education. For information about rules, policies, and compliance, visit crmls.org/compliance.
Broker Public Portal and Homesnap App
Nikki Gustafson, Director of Agent Engagement, Homesnap.com Homesnap is the national app for the broker public portal. It is the largest real estate platform for agents to use in running their business from their phone. Homesnap is bringing real time to real estate. When we talked with agents, we discovered what they were missing was an agents-only version of our app called Homesnap. We considered what people look for in a tech product. They want a minimal learning curve. They want something that is reliable and accurate. And they want efficiency because time is money. Real estate agents needed a tool that would allow them to do more in a day without sacrificing quality or accuracy. Homesnap pro is that tool. It is perfect for property. With the Snap-it! feature, you can take a picture of a
Photo by: Marion Butterfield
Pictured are (from left to right) Ray Ewing, CRMLS chief administrative officer; Jeff Smetana, CRMLS director of compliance and data licensing; Len Herman, Orange County REALTORS® director and MLS Committee member; Dan Sandri, Department of Real Estate acting commissioner; Amy A. Ulloa-Zúñiga, CRMLS director of broker resources; Devon Hallis, CRMLS director of association resources; Megan Barber, CRMLS compliance supervisor; and Miguel Ramos, CRMLS systems expert.
property and find out everything about it. Using the Keyword Search, you can search by neighborhood, community, or commute times. You can search by school district, school, or street. Using your finger, you can draw your own search area. With the Homesnap suite of features, you can evaluate properties. You can use the comparative market analysis (CMA) to determine the current valuation so that you are able to provide immediate guidance. You can also look up a transaction history going back twenty years. Think of Homesnap as you would a Facebook link. You can use it to invite clients, share favorites, and collaborate. And it’s a great way to generate free leads! We partner with REALTOR® Associations to make Homesnap pro available to their agents for free. My parting words are: What are you waiting for? This is a free app. Download it and join us for an hour-long training session.
System Training on Cloud MLX Miguel Ramos, Systems Expert, CRMLS
Cloud MLX is one of the tools that we provide as part of your membership. It was developed by W+R Studios, a software company in Huntington Beach, makers of the Cloud Agent Suite. This company’s philosophy is to simplify, and Cloud MLX won a 2016 Inman Innovator Award for the most innovative technology. Cloud MLX has been described as “the MLS system that reads your mind.” When you start using Cloud MLX, it starts remembering everything you are doing.
Soon, it knows what areas you are searching, what searches you are saving, and what properties you are linking to clients. Searching your MLS system has never been faster or easier. W+R Studios also has developed Cloud Steams, which enables you to set up an automatic email for a client. Listing alerts sent from the MLS are boring. Cloud Streams’ MLS listing alerts include property photos, agent branding, and descriptive subject lines. At a glance, your buyer can make decisions without having to click anywhere else. You need to evaluate these products and decide which one works for you, which one allows you to interface most effectively with your client. If you are unsure, come to a class, get better acquainted with these products, and try them out.
“
Cloud MLX has been described as ‘the MLS system that
”
reads your mind.’
Continued on Page 22
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Continued from Page 21
CRMLS Compliance Update
Jeff Smetana, Director of Compliance and Data Licensing, CRMLS Members of Orange County REALTORS® have relatively few compliance issues. A high percentage of them are playing within the rules and putting in clean listings. The top five listing violations are: (1) branded photographs and virtual tours, (2) inaccurate information, (3) late entry of listing, (4) no listing photo, and (5) unauthorized reproduction and display of photos, which is a copyright violation. Copyright issues are increasingly being litigated. Currently, there is a lawsuit filed against Zillow. If you did not take a photo or you don’t have the rights to a photo, do not post it. Don’t use third-party images. You don’t own the photo even if you took a picture of it on your laptop. And don’t use pictures found on Google Images. A copyright violation carries a $1,500 fine with no warning.
“
If you did not take a photo or you don’t have the rights to a photo, do not post it. Don’t use third-
Report from the Department of Real Estate
Dan Sandri, Acting Commissioner, California DRE I should have been invited to Nerd Fest. My first degree was in entomology. My second degree was in accounting. With the passage of Senate Bill 173, what has been the California Bureau of Real Estate (BRE) within the Department of Consumer Affairs is being reorganized as the Department of Real Estate once again, reporting to the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, effective July 1, 2018. Our mission is to safeguard and promote the public interest in real estate matters through licensure, regulation, education, and enforcement. We have about 420,000 licensees and about 26,500 mortgage loan originators (MLOs). Transitioning from bureau to department is a very complicated process. We are rebuilding our human resources shop, we are adding a legislation section to enable us to analyze proposed legislation, and we are building a publications and communications section. Many of our recent audits have involved property management and broker escrow accounts because that’s where the money is. We are also looking at licensees who are handling trust fund accounts. If you become aware of an agent who is doing something fraudulent, please send in a complaint. You can do so online and anonymously. We need to know so that we can take action to prevent further harm.
party images. You don’t own the photo even if you took a picture of it on
”
your laptop.
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With the passage of Senate Bill 173, what has been the California Bureau of Real Estate (BRE) within the Department of Consumer Affairs is being reorganized as the Department of Real Estate once again, reporting to the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, effective July 1, 2018.
REALTY REALITY More Photos in OUR ANNUAL
Thank Them for Their Service
VETERANS TRIBUTE FEATURING OC REALTORS® AND AFFILIATES
on page 26
In up markets and down, we enjoy the right to own private property because men and women have served in uniform around the world to defend our country and our dreams. “If you can read this, thank a teacher.
BOB HUNT U.S. Marine Corps 1957–1960
By Bob Hunt MARINE, REALTOR®, AND AUTHOR
“PLEASE—WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK, WAITING AT AN AIRPORT, SHOPPING AT THE GROCERY STORE—IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE.” 24
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If it’s in English, thank a veteran.” That message from my all-time favorite bumper sticker is particularly apt this month because Sunday, November 11, is Veteran’s Day. The day before, November 10, is the 243rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Happy birthday, Marines. Thank you, veterans—all of you! During the past few years, regardless of where one stood on our military involvements, there has been a near-unanimous outpouring of support and appreciation for our military. Those expressions of support, I fear, are occurring less frequently as so many are focused on worries about their jobs, their homes, vanishing retirement funds, and, now, their health insurance. But we owe those servicemen and women no less now than we did when employment was high, homes were appreciating, and life seemed pretty comfortable in the United States of America. A few years ago, my wife and I were riding on a bus with a group of people who were the beneficiaries of what we called a “political event.” It was sponsored by a state legislator. We were going to a ball game. On the bus was a person who was employed by a large, well-known, California company. He was, essentially, a lobbyist. We heard him chatting with people around him about some of his experiences as a pilot stationed on an aircraft carrier. Later, after the talk had died down, we asked him about his experiences. He was a naval aviator during the Vietnam War. We thanked him for his service. He told us that we were only the second persons who had ever said that to him. The first was a South Vietnamese woman whose parents had immigrated to the United States. She was
Photos: www.istockphoto.com/ kali9 ,asiseeit, DanielBendjy
now working in a government-related job in Sacramento. Her family had lost everything in the war. She thanked him for what he had done and what he had made possible for her. So what does all this have to do with real estate? Everything. In up markets and down, we still enjoy the right to own private property. There is still an American dream. There is a dream of home ownership, of getting ahead, and of making a future for the next generation. We went through a rough patch several years ago; but the dream is still there, and still being realized in millions of lives. That dream is secure because, all around the world, young American
men and women are standing on a wall. They are putting their lives on the line to defend our country and our dreams. They are there because of the dream, and it endures because they are there. Does what these people do actually mean anything to any of us? Ask Richard Phillips, Captain of the Maersk Alabama. I hope the young men and women who wear the uniform won’t have to wait as long as our friend did before they hear a word of thanks. Please— walking down the sidewalk, waiting at an airport, shopping at the grocery store—if you have the opportunity, thank them for their service.
Bob Hunt is a former director of the National Association of REALTORS® and is the author of both Ethics at Work and Real Estate the Ethical Way. A graduate of Princeton with a master’s degree from UCLA in philosophy, Hunt has served as a U.S. Marine, as president of the South Orange County Association of REALTORS® (in 1988), and as a director of the California Association of REALTORS®. His email address is scbhunt@aol.com.
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VETERANS DAY
OUR ANNUAL
T R I B U T E
FEATURING OC REALTORS® AND AFFILIATES Veterans Day November 11, 2018
F
reedom is never free. In this month of Veterans Day, Orange County REALTORS® expresses gratitude to those brave men and women whose military service has purchased the freedom we enjoy. On November 12, Orange County REALTORS® will join the rest of the nation in remembering the sacrifices made by America’s 25 million veterans on the battlefields of World War I,
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World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts around the globe. On these pages, we salute and pay special tribute to REALTOR® and Affiliate members who answered our country’s call by serving in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, at home or abroad, either to win a war or to preserve the peace.
SIDNEY ALPERT U.S. Coast Guard 1945–1946
MIKE AMEEL U.S. Army 1969–1972
FRED-OTTO EGELER U.S. Army 23 Years of Service
DAVIN EMMONS TIM FAHL U.S. Army U.S. Marine Corps Military Police Corps 1976–1979 1985–1988
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Observed November 12
BRAD COLEMAN U.S. Marine Corps 1992–1999
RAYMOND DENTON BOB DICKIE U.S. Navy U.S. Air Force 1976 1967–1998
TONY FAULKNER U.S. Marine Corps 1979–1994
LARRY FELS U.S. Navy 1966–1970
VETERANS DAY
ROY FUSSELL Captain, USMC (Ret.) U.S. Marine Corps 1961–1983
PETER GIAMMARINARO U.S. Air Force 1956–1962
DUANE GOMER U.S. Navy 1955–1958
JONATHAN HAWKINS U.S. Army 2010–2017
BOB HUNT U.S. Marine Corps 1957–1960
JULIE KISTLER U.S. Navy 1994–1998
CHRISTOPHER LARDIE U.S. Navy 1988–2013
DAVE LEWIS U.S. Marine Corps 1969–1971
WILLIAM THOMAS LOTT, III U.S. Marine Corps 1988–1992
LEN MALENA U.S. Marine Corps 1976–1980
JAY MILLS U.S. Air Force 1984–1991
PHILIP MITCHELL U.S. Marine Corps 1965–1971
DENNIS O’CONNOR U.S. Navy 1971–1977
MARK PETRICK U.S. Army 1988–1993
MARK RAIDY U.S. Army 1971–1973
MELVYN D. RICHARDSON U.S. Army 1964–1966
RICH STEINHOFF U.S. Marine Corps 1958–1964
RUDY SWIGART U.S. Navy 1989–2015
WILL WOODS U.S. Navy 1968–1974
JAMES J. ZAKHAR, JR. U.S. Army 1970–1972 Continued on Page 28
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VETERANS DAY
Continued from Page 27
DAVE BERMAN U.S. Navy 1967–1973
DON COOK U.S. Marine Corps 1980–1986
PETER MCCORMICK U.S. Marine Corps 1991–Present FRANK HILL (on the right) U.S. Army 1955–1975
RAYMOND FUTAMI U.S. Marine Corps 1967–1999
TOM BRABECK U.S. Navy 1966–1970
ED MIXON U.S. Navy 1956–1959
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TOM HRIBAR U.S. Marine Corps 1966–1970
VETERANS DAY
LARRY WEBB U.S. Navy 1985–1996
STEVE WIDNER U.S. Marine Corps 1968
EDWIN FAHLEN U.S. Navy 1970–1973
O
TERRANCE REAY U.S. Army 1967–1968
AJA MCGOWAN (on the right)
U.S. Marine Corps 2000–2004
MICHELE WILLIAMS HARRINGTON U.S. Marine Corps 1993–1997
Not Pictured
range County REALTORS® invited REALTOR® and Affiliate members who have served in the military to submit photographs of themselves in uniform for publication on these pages. In addition, we compiled a list of the veterans of whom we are • Steve Anderson, U.S. Army, 1969–1971 • Vern Bock, U.S. Air Force, 1966–1972 • Stephen Bowers, U.S. Air Force, 1968–1971 • Austin C. Chiles, Jr., U.S. Air Force, 1965–1968 • Jim Chiuminatta, U.S. Army, 1967–1968 • Mike DeLeon, U.S. Army, ARNG, 1971–1994 • Robert DiGruccio, U.S. Army, 1966–1969 • Jim Dwyer, U.S. Air Force, 22 Years of Service
aware but for whom we do not have a photo in uniform. To all of the veterans who are pictured, to those whose names are listed below, and to those of whom we are unaware, we say, “Thank you for your service.” • Matthew Gutridge, U.S. Navy, 1992–2016 • Dan Hoppy, U.S. Army, 1969–1972 • Steve Kaustinen, U.S. Marine Corps, 2003–2005 • Will Killens, U.S. Army, 1974–1994 • Jon C. Meyer, U.S. Air Force, 1962–1968 • Don Readinger, U.S. Navy, 1965–1974 • Bill Sundin, U.S. Air Force, 1969–1971
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TECH ISSUE
DESIGN FOR THE TIPS NOVICE MARKETER
By Michelle McCann
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Keep your design simple, use free tools to help select and arrange the elements, and include a great photo! Not everyone has the time or money to master Photoshop and create amazing designs. But even if you are not a professional designer, you can create attractive and effective marketing collateral. Here are some tips that will help you.
USE FREE TOOLS Canva is a great platform for beginners and the creatively challenged. It has preset templates and layouts, font pairings, and color recommendations for you to play around with. You can easily create social media posts, flyers, infographics, and more. Canva is free and makes it easy to create unique, high-quality graphics that are great for sharing—even if you’ve never designed anything in your life. Pablo is a very basic, minimalist tool that
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is used primarily to edit images and add customized graphics to social media posts. Pablo is a no-fluff app that is popular for marketers who want to create a super-quickbut-also-very-professional-looking post that is already cropped to the right size for every social network. Once you’ve finished customizing your image, Pablo makes it easy to share your new graphic directly to the social media platform of your choice. Piktochart is a free, online tool solely for use in creating infographics. Infographics are a great way to get your posts shared on social media while promoting yourself. And doesn’t everyone love a good infographic? Piktochart has easy-to-use templates, a library of icons, and limitless design capabilities from beginner to advanced.
TECH ISSUE
CHOOSE A GREAT PHOTO Visual assets are essential to creating engaging social media posts, flyers, and other marketing collateral. Images should be the main component of all your marketing graphics. Clear, captivating images draw in your audience and keep them interested. But you don’t have to pay a lot of money to use amazing photos. Sites like Pixabay and Unsplash are search engines for royalty-free stock photographs that you can download without any restrictions and use for commercial purposes.
www.istockphoto.com/jacoblund
Canva and Pablo also have searchable libraries with various licensee options to download photos. A quick note about copyright: Google Images is a search engine and not a collection of copyright-free images. All images found through Google Images should be assumed to be protected by copyright and should not be used for either your business marketing collateral or your MLS listing!
KEEP IT SIMPLE
“Images should be the main component of all your marketing graphics. Clear, captivating images draw in your audience and keep them interested.”
When it comes to graphics, a little goes a long way. Clean and simple content is easier on the eyes and will get your message across more effectively than cluttered, over-decorated design. You don’t want your audience to be overwhelmed with multiple colors, texts, shapes, and images. Simple and sleek are more effective. Avoid using too many colors and make sure that the colors you choose complement one another subtly. An easy way to create color harmony in your graphics is to match your colors to the background photo or illustration. Don’t use more than two fonts—generally, one sans serif and one serif—from a similar font family. And steer clear of fonts that are too decorative. You want your fonts to be neat and consistent, not ornate and distracting.
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TECH ISSUE
5
Steps to Instagram Pro Status
By Marissa Hughes COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
With fun fonts, sharper photos, and special features, you can add excitement to the content you post on Instagram and increase the viewership for your stories, photos, and videos. Want to create an Instagram account like the pros? These five steps will elevate your Instagram posts! Although the process may seem overwhelming at first, with a little practice, you can become a real pro!
1. Use Hashtags and Location Tags
Adding hashtags and location tags to your story is a great way to ensure that your content will be viewed when other people search for a topic or location on Instagram. Have you ever looked at a post and wished you knew where it was taken? Well, don’t keep other Instagram users wondering. Share your location! Stories with location tags tend to get more interaction because other Instagram users want to see what cool place you are visiting. Using hashtags also can give viewership a boost. If you add a hashtag that is trending, your content will show up with that of everyone else who used the same hashtag. But using hashtags can become competitive. Check out the hashtags your competitors are using and choose yours wisely so that your content will be more likely to be viewed.
2. Add Animations and Graphics
Gifs (those short, animated videos) add personality to your stories. When you find the photo or video you would like to post, click on the square that has a face on it at the top of the page. A menu box will appear, and you will see several features you can add to your story. Stickers are another way to make your story unique. You can choose from several different kinds of stickers—including question, music, poll, and current time or weather—and some are more interactive than others.
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TECH ISSUE
Once you find the gifs or stickers you want, you can pin them to your story. Pinning allows you to add stickers, gifs, or text to a certain part of your video for several seconds so that it’s not in one spot the whole time. As your video moves, it remains in its position.
3. Apply Effects
Instagram comes with a variety of effects to liven up your story. These effects are located at the bottom of your screen when you open the app to take a photo or video. To choose the one you want, slide your finger to the left or right. Superzoom: Superzoom allows you to zoom in dramatically on something specific while filming—and there are different styles of Superzoom. Play around with the options to see which style best fits your story. Boomerang: The Boomerang feature is my favorite! As the name suggests, it allows you to create mini videos that loop back and forth. You’ll get more out of the video if there are subtle movements. Music: Bring your story to life with music. Once you have your video or photo ready, you can choose the music feature, which allows you to select songs from the library provided or to use songs you have downloaded on your phone. Rewinds: Rewinds is self-explanatory: it plays your video backward. Unlike Boomerang, where your video loops back and forth, Rewinds plays your entire video backward.
4. Have Fun with Fonts
Adding text to your photo or video can help explain your post or provide you with an opportunity to write a message with a nice background. Not only can you add plain text to your story but also you can choose from a variety of fonts (neon, modern, typewriter, strong, and classic) in several colors. And you have the option of handwriting your message with different markers. Get creative and see what types of fonts you like or which ones best fit your photo.
5. Keep it Clean
Ever notice a slight blur on your photos? No, it’s not an automatic “soft focus” filter. The camera lens is dirty! A lot of people don’t think about this, but a clean camera lens can eliminate those blurry photos. Cleaning your lens doesn’t require special products. A simple wipe with a soft cloth will sharpen your photo or video.
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TECH ISSUE
Artificial Intelligence Meets Blockchain When
Together, these technologies promise to improve the accuracy, accessibility, utilization, and sense-making of real estate data. The future belongs to individuals and firms that are prepared to leverage them to enhance outcomes for their clients. By Dr. Aleksandar Velkoski LEAD DATA SCIENTIST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
T
he future of real estate belongs to professionals who are prepared to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to enhance outcomes for their clients. This was the main premise of my talk at Nerd Fest 2018, the Orange County REALTORS® annual technology summit held in early September. At most, some years from now, folks may recognize it as an accurate prediction. At the very least, it appears to be where real estate markets are headed. In the paragraphs that follow, I explain why I see a Blockchain-based, AI-powered future for real estate and why I think real estate professionals will be a part of that future.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is often described as the study and practice of making machines “smart.” Contrary to popular belief, it has been around for decades. In fact, technology historians assign the birth of AI to the mid-1950s; therefore, it’s not a passing fad.
Numerous applications of AI in real estate have the potential to enhance outcomes, including those around virtual assistants, property valuation, buyer and seller matching, building automation, and property management. Although various degrees of AI are used in real estate today, there is significant opportunity for improvement.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a newer technology but has potential in real estate that may exceed that offered by AI, at least in the short to medium term. Blockchain was conceptualized in 2008 as a core component of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin and was built upon scientific advancements in cryptography. It is formally described as a distributed ledger, a system that provides a verifiable and trustworthy record of events or transactions.
In simpler terms, Blockchain can be described as a technology that ensures the integrity of records while improving traceability. Among other important benefits to real estate, Blockchain has the potential In recent decades, researchers have focused on building machines with varying degrees of autonomy, to strengthen property records, reduce the cost of capable of selecting actions that maximize the value of doing business, and limit risk in property transactions. an outcome. Leaders across industries are interested As an industry, we’re just scratching the surface as it relates to real-world implementations of Blockchain, in AI in part because of the theoretical and practical promises of simulating human decision-making in but with entrepreneurs and venture capital pouring into Blockchain real estate projects, this will machines, particularly to maximize outcomes, which ultimately has implications for profitability. change rapidly.
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www.istockphoto.com/SasinParaksa
TECH ISSUE
The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, as separate technologies, are certainly interesting; but the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain is even more compelling. Together, these technologies promise to improve the accuracy, accessibility, utilization, and sense-making of real estate data. In addition to enhancing the accuracy and trustworthiness of data, and thus the value of the data, improving upon the accessibility of data has the effect of enhancing the effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence itself, as well as the opportunities available for AI innovation. Therefore, Blockchain empowers not only AI, but also the individuals and firms that own the data. Conversely, AI can be used to boost the efficiency of Blockchain. Thus, AI and Blockchain are a win-win for real estate markets.
The Threat to Jobs
If AI and Blockchain show so much promise for our industry, then what should we make of fear surrounding job displacement? It is generally accepted that technological advancement has displaced some jobs. However, technological advancement has also transformed and enhanced jobs, and created new jobs never seen before. In my mind, the key to winning the jobs battle is
to embrace technology and build upon it. The best recent example derives from the accounting industry. Accountants initially feared, and may still fear, that Blockchain would displace them. Instead of fighting the technology, though, the accounting industry collectively embraced Blockchain as a way of enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of accountants. How the real estate industry responds will have a big impact on what real estate looks like in the future.
Conclusion
It may be fashionable to talk about Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain as corporate buzz speak, but what we’re talking about here is something much deeper. The real estate industry is ripe for innovation, and Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain are poised to completely transform the way we do business. The future of real estate belongs to professionals and firms that are prepared to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to enhance outcomes for their clients. Aleksandar Velkoski is the lead data scientist for the National Association of REALTORS®, an adjunct professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University, and co-founder and lead organizer of Chicago ML, a community of machine learning scientists. His email address is aleks@velko.ski.
“The future of real estate belongs to professionals who are prepared to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to enhance outcomes for their clients.”
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Thank You
to our Sponsors to our sponsors and Exhibitors
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Escrow Options Group Inc.
Perl Mortgage
Pacific City Escrow
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EDUCATION
REALTOR ALERT! Get the 411 on the Code of Ethics Requirement ®
By Sabrina Blair DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
What is the Code of Ethics? The Code of Ethics is a document first adopted by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) in 1913. It holds REALTORS® to higher standards of practice and professionalism than are expected of non-REALTOR® licensees and has been called a “golden thread” that unites those devoted to raising the standards of professionalism and service in real estate.
What is the Code of Ethics requirement? The National Association of REALTORS® has mandated that all active REALTOR® members must complete 2.5 hours of ethics training, meeting specific learning objectives and criteria, within two-year cycles.
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A REALTOR® who has completed the required ethics training within a two-year cycle in one association shall not be required to complete any further ethics training for that same training cycle if the REALTOR® becomes or is a member of another association. REALTORS® are required to complete NAR Code of Ethics training in each biennial period. The current biennial period began on January 1, 2017, and ends on December 31, 2018.
How can I check to see if I have completed the Code of Ethics training and fulfilled this requirement? You can check to see if you have fulfilled the requirement on NAR’s website. • Log in to www.nar.realtor. • Once logged in, click on My Account and then click on Manage Account. • Under Other Links, click on View Your Education Records (NRDS). • If you see one of the Course Numbers listed below, then you have completed the Code of Ethics training and fulfilled this requirement. • If you do not see either Course Number listed, then you still need to complete your Code of Ethics training before December 31, 2018. Course Numbers–New Members BPP COEN 20171 BPP COEN 20181
Course Numbers–Continuing Members BPP COEC 2017C5 BPP COEC 2018C5
Do I need to complete Code of Ethics training even if I have been given honorary status or other exempt status from the California Department of Real Estate? Yes, all active REALTOR® members must complete Code of Ethics training by December 31, 2018, with the exception of NAR Emeritus Members, who do not have to complete this requirement.
What classes will satisfy my Code of Ethics requirement? The easiest and fastest way to complete your Code of Ethics training is through NAR’s free online learning library at www.ocar.org/nar-coe. Select the option listed as “Course for Existing Members (Free).” If you complete Code of Ethics training through NAR, you do not need to submit a certificate of completion. In addition, the following live classes offered by Orange County REALTORS® will fulfill your Code of Ethics obligation:
• • • • • • • •
Professional Best Practices Professional Standards Training Professional Standards Advanced Training Mock Grievance Training Mock Arbitration Training Live with Ethics taught by Vivian Vanderwerd Live Ethics Classes with Duane Gomer Technology & The Law - Code of Ethics and Fair Housing (included in TechXpert 2-Day Training)
To register for any of these live classes, visit www.ocar.org/coe.
I already took a Code of Ethics class, but it is not reflected on NAR’s website. What do I do? If you have taken an approved Code of Ethics class, send a copy of your completion certificate to Cassie@ocar.org for verification and processing. OC REALTOR®
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Five Most Frustrating
Voice Mail Phrases— And How to Fix Them
Avoid wasting time with meaningless phrases. Instead, provide information that is honest, useful, and valuable. And think of each message you leave as your electronic business card. By Nancy Friedman PRESIDENT, TELEPHONE DOCTOR CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING
M
ost of us live and swear by our cell phones. But when was the last time you called your own cell phone to hear what your callers are hearing?
Call your cell phone from another phone and listen to your message. How do you sound? Too serious? Not smiling? Are you using semi-useless or frustrating phrases? Great if you’re not; however, so many cell phones have greetings that aren’t of much value.
Here are the five most frustrating voice mail phrases used on so many phones. And so easy to fix. “I’m not at my desk right now.” Duh? That’s a hot lot of news! Callers need—and want—to know where you are, not where you’re not. Try, “I am in the office all this week.” Or “I’m in a meeting until 3:00 p.m.” Or “Out in the field and will return calls later today.”
“I’m sorry I missed your call.” Really? Well sometimes you’re not sorry. Sometimes, you’re glad you missed that call. Best to leave this one out! Use the time and space for something more valuable.
“Your call is very important to me.”
“I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”
The caller is thinking: “Well, if I am so darn important, where the heck are you?” And then again, think about it. Maybe the call isn’t so important to you. You just don’t need this statement. It’s semi-useless.
Well, Nancy what’s wrong with this one? It’s simply not effective. Everyone’s “as soon as possible” is different. And we will never exceed customer or client expectations with “as soon as possible.” The statement should be, “I will return your call.”
“Good-bye.” Although “good-bye” is the customary closing for a voice mail message, it is frustrating when it comes too soon, when you don’t leave the caller any information about how to reach you. At least tell callers to “hit zero for the operator should you need more information.” The best would be to give a name and extension. Or leave a secondary phone number or email address—someplace where your client or prospect can reach you if necessary.
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Photo: www.istockphoto.com/AleksandarGeorgiev
Leaving a Message Left messages come in three varieties: poor, average, and great.
Poor: “Hey! Hi, this is Bob. Gimme a call.” And believe me, this is done. Average: “Hi, this is Bob at Acme REALTORS®. Call me at 437-8748.” Usually the phone number is said way too fast, and the recipient cannot understand it. Great: “Hi Bob, this is Nancy Friedman at Friedman REALTORS®. I’d like to get with
“So many cell phones have greetings on them that aren’t of much value.”
you to talk about the meeting on Monday the 27th. Let me know if you’d like to meet at your office or ours. I’ll arrange to have lunch brought in at either place. I’m at 314— that’s central time in St. Louis, Missouri—314-291-1012. Again, 314-291-1012. Look forward to it.” That message is filled with key information—and delivered with a smile. The message you leave for someone else is your electronic business card. It needs to be great. Nothing less. Let’s not make it any more difficult than it is. Whether you are receiving a call or leaving a message, voice mail is a productivity enhancer.
Nancy Friedman is the president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, St. Louis, Missouri, and the author of nine books about customer service and sales. She helps companies improve communication among co-workers and with their customers, and has been a featured speaker at National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), franchise, and corporate conferences. To learn more, call 314-291-1012 or visit www.nancyfriedman.com.
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ANNUAL DUES
Pay Early for a Chance to Win FREE Dues! Your 2019 Dues Invoice will be sent via mail and email by mid-December. Payments will be due by Monday, January 7, 2019. Please pay on time to avoid a late fee and possible interruption in services. If you pay in full online, you will be entered for an opportunity to receive a refund of some or all of your dues! Online payments can be made at www.ocar.org/pay once dues invoices have been sent out in mid-December. EARLY BIRD DRAWINGS
December 11 Drawing
n REALTOR® Winner will receive a refund of both MLS fees and local Orange County REALTORS® dues.
n Affiliate Winner will receive a refund of local Orange County REALTORS® dues.
December 21 Drawing
n REALTOR® Winner will receive a refund of MLS fees.
nA ffiliate Winner will receive a refund of local Orange County REALTORS® dues.
December 31 Drawing
n REALTOR® Winner will receive a refund of local Orange County REALTORS® dues. nA ffiliate Winner will receive a refund of local Orange County REALTORS® dues.
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MENTIONS
Don’t Miss Out on These Wonderful Topics!
Thank You, OC REALTOR ®!
Thank you for featuring Cox Communications’ “Connected Independence” Senior Smart Home event in your July/ August issue. We were thrilled by the turnout of Orange County REALTORS® Affiliate and REALTOR® members at our event, which showcased how seniors can use internet-enabled smart devices to live safely, independently, and more comfortably at home while providing caregivers with peace of mind.
I really appreciate the OC Register column written by Sherri Butterfield in Saturday’s Real Estate section. The topics are great to share with our clients and are always current and insightful. The article about Swim Safety resonated with the recent tragic drownings in Orange County. “Nine Reasons to Rely on a REALTOR®” was a great piece to put in your listing presentations. Don’t miss out on these wonderful topics! Thanks to Orange County REALTORS® and the Orange County Register for making these columns possible.
Cox Communications continues to invest in its network, as well as in new ventures such as telehealth and Internet of Things, to better power smart homes, smart businesses, and smart cities. Thank you, OC REALTOR®, for helping make readers more aware of how these new technologies can help seniors age in place.
Kristen Camuglia
Rita E. Tayenaka
Government Affairs, Cox Communications
Coast to Canyon Real Estate 2015 President, Orange County REALTORS®
Editor’s Note: Kristen is writing about the article and photos that appeared on page 18 in the July/August issue of OC REALTOR® under the headline “Cox Communications Showcases ‘Connected Independence’ in Senior Smart Home.” Being demonstrated in the home were a variety of electronic devices, including a LiveFine automatic pill dispenser, Trapollo telemedicine services that made it possible for physicians to diagnose and treat the home’s occupants remotely, and the Rendever virtual reality platform to allow seniors to experience their favorite destinations even when they are no longer able to travel.
Editor’s Note: The Southern California News Group regularly makes available to Orange County’s four real estate associations a column space on page 2 in the O.C. Homes section, which is published each week as part of the Saturday edition of the Orange County Register. Responsibility for filling this column rotates among the Laguna Board of REALTORS®, the Newport Beach Association of REALTORS®, Orange County REALTORS®, and the Pacific West Association of REALTORS®. In addition to the topics mentioned by Rita, recent columns have covered fair housing, open house precautions, REALTOR® safety, scam warnings, and sponsored fundraising, informational, and social events.
CALL FOR MENTIONS Media postings and emails intended for possible publication in this magazine should be sent either to Director of Communications Sabrina Blair at Sabrina@ocar.org or to Writer and Editor Sherri Butterfield at Sherri@ocar.org. All written material may be edited for content, length, or style and may appear either online or in print. Emails become the property of Orange County REALTORS®. Although some may be answered, none will be returned.
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THE ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING UPDATE
The Orange County housing market is inching its way toward becoming a buyer’s market for the first time in years.
By Steven Thomas REPORTSONHOUSING.COM
W
hen you are sitting on the edge of a lake fishing, time stops. Sometimes the fishing is great, and you go home with a bucket full of fish. At other times, after fishing for hours, you reel in only one fish. And then there are days when, after trying every kind of bait, you go home with nothing. A big part of fishing is using the bait that is working and being extremely patient. Today’s sellers remind me of a kid who goes fishing for the very first time. After five minutes with his pole in the water, he inquires
impatiently, “How long before I catch a fish?” Slowly, he begins to realize that the rewards for fishing are not instantaneous and may require quite a bit of time and persistence. The trouble is that current sellers have heard about how great the fishing was and about how the housing market was generating instantaneous, multiple offers. For years, sellers sold their homes at or near their list prices, and homes sometimes fetched even more than the initial asking price. That is until the spring of 2018, when cracks began to appear in the six-year housing run. The days when sellers could cast their lines into the water and immediately reel in a whopper were in the past and were not coming back anytime soon. In the past few months, more cracks have appeared. The market is still moving but no longer at the speed to which everyone had become accustomed. The latest trends indicate a cooling marketplace that requires a lot more patience.
The current active inventory has not reached a peak. Typically, the active listing inventory peaks during the Summer Market, sometime in July or August. This year, it does not look like it will reach a peak until October, around the mid-point of the Autumn Market (see Figure 1). The delay is occurring because an additional 459 homes were placed on the market in September, 15 percent more than were placed on the market at this time last year. The peak has also been delayed because demand is at its lowest levels since 2007. When demand is down, fewer homes are pulled from the active listing inventory as pending sales. After reaching a peak, the active inventory drops for the remainder of the year. Because the 2018 inventory is peaking in October, it will not have as much time to drop by year’s end. There will be more homes on the market at the beginning of the new year, meaning Continued on Page 50
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Continued from Page 48
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THE ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING UPDATE
If these trends continue, the housing market could cool further and become a buyer’s market. It won’t happen this year, but we could be seeing the initial signs of an eventual shift. that 2019 will be characterized by more seller competition. Thus, a delayed peak is a strong indicator of a much slower spring for the following year.
Figure 1. Typically, the active listing inventory peaks in late July; but this year, an increase in the number of homes that came on the market in September shifted the peak into October.
The Expected Market Time spiked from July through September. Typically, the Expected Market Time (the amount of time it would take to place a home on the market today and open escrow down the road) flattens during the Summer and Autumn Markets. It remains flat because the velocity of homes coming on the market slows during the summer, with all the distractions, and in autumn, when the kids go back to school. Demand drops during summer and autumn for the same reasons. Usually, the decrease in the number of homes coming on the market and the decrease in demand offset each other, and the Expected Market Time does not change much. However, Continued on Page 52
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THE ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING UPDATE
Continued from Page 50
Figure 2. This year, a large drop in housing demand combined with a steadily growing active listing inventory to increase the Expected Market Time from 80 days in July to 105 days in early October.
this year, a giant drop in demand has combined with a steadily growing active listing inventory to create a spike in the Expected Market Time (see Figure 2). It has blossomed from 80 days in July to 105 days at the start of October. At 105 days, the housing market has become more balanced and is inching its way toward a buyer’s market for the first time in years.
What does this mean for buyers? Buyers need to remember that it is not a buyer’s market. Sellers are still able to fetch the Fair Market Value of a home, meaning a price very close to the most recent comparable pending and closed sales. Values are not dropping. Quite simply, there are a lot more choices for buyers right now.
Is the local housing market shifting toward buyers? The cracks in housing that started during the Spring Market cooled the hot seller’s market to which everyone had become accustomed. As Orange County housing cooled further during the Summer Market, more cracks began to appear. These trends have developed only this year. If these trends continue, the housing market could cool further and become a buyer’s market. It won’t happen this year, but we could be seeing the initial signs of an eventual shift.
What does this mean for sellers? The evolving market is a bit more challenging for sellers than what they have been accustomed to. Sellers who ask unrealistic prices will not succeed. It is necessary to take a much more cautious and deliberate approach to the housing market. A nicely upgraded home in great condition that is priced at the Fair Market Value will still sell quickly below $1 million.
Steven Thomas has a degree in quantitative economics and decision sciences from the University of California, San Diego, and more than twenty years of experience in real estate. His bimonthly Orange County Housing Report is available by subscription and provides housing market analysis that is easy to understand and useful in setting the expectations of both buyers and sellers. His website is www.ReportsOnHousing.com.
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AFFILIATES IN ACTION
Affiliates Assist at New REALTOR® Orientations in August, September, and October Orange County REALTORS® thanks the Affiliates and others who assisted at the New REALTOR® Orientations on August 22, September 5, October 4, and October 6, and congratulates the new REALTOR® members who joined Orange County REALTORS® on these occasions.
August 22 w
Fountain Valley
Affiliates who helped Orange County REALTORS® welcome new REALTOR® members on August 22 in Fountain Valley were (from left to right) Bryon Bayshore, Ticor Title; Lona Baker, Heritage Escrow; Kendra Johnson, All Signs; David Schwartz, Bank of England; 2018 Affiliate North Chair Dolores White, New American Funding; Jim Barr, State Farm Insurance; 2018 Affiliate North Vice Chair Jill Snedeker, loanDepot; and John Rodriguez, Elevated Network.
October 4 w
Fountain Valley
Affiliates who helped Orange County REALTORS® welcome new REALTOR® members on October 4 in Fountain Valley were (from left to right) Corvi Urling, Planet Home Lending; Elle Daniels, Generations Escrow; 2018 Affiliate North Vice Chair Jill Snedeker, loanDepot; Gina Leslie, Stewart Title; Steve Taylor, Vision Home Tours; and Luis Mata, Farmers Insurance.
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September 5 w
Laguna Hills
Affiliates who helped Orange County REALTORS® welcome new REALTOR® members on September 5 in Laguna Hills were (from left to right) Eric Enriquez, WeROOF’s Rescue Roofer; Tim Fahl, Essex Mortgage; 2018 Affiliate South Chair Ellie Tipton-Ortiz, Laguna Legal; Elle Daniels, Generations Escrow; Hamid Parsa, Carpet Depot; Virji Angelo, Angelo Termite and Construction; Kristine Holliday, WFG National Title Company; and Monica Salazar, HomeGuard HomeWarranty.
October 6 w Laguna Hills
Affiliates who helped Orange County REALTORS® welcome new REALTOR® members on October 6 in Laguna Hills were (from left to right) Reem K. Misto, National Pacific Lending; Bill Senteno, Ticor Title; Elle Daniels, Generations Escrow; Steve Taylor, Vision Home Tours; Monica Salazar, HomeGuard HomeWarranty; and Brian P. Hannigan, SendOutCards.
IT BEARS REPEATING
T
he publication in 1823 of Clement Clarke Moore’s poem titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas” created for its readers their conception of Santa Claus and, at the same time, raised serious questions among youngsters about whether this jolly old gift-giving elf really existed. One youngster who pondered this question was Virginia O’Hanlon. In 1897, eight-year-old Virginia asked her father, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, about the existence of Santa Claus. Reluctant to engage in the discussion himself, O’Hanlon suggested that Virginia send her question to the editor of The Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper, assuring her, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”
V
irginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do no believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant in his intellect, as compared with the
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Virginia took her father’s suggestion. As luck would have it, the assignment to respond fell to Francis Pharcellus Church, who had been a war correspondent during the American Civil War. Both a cynic and an atheist, he was reticent about writing the piece but recognized the opportunity he had been given to rise above a child’s simple question and address the deeper philosophical issues that lay beneath it. Church’s response, which was initially published anonymously at his insistence, has become the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language. As Christmas approaches, we reproduce it here as a reminder of the power that “faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance” have to define what is true and to make real what cannot be seen.
boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary
IT BEARS REPEATING
Artwork: www.istockphoto.com/nokee
would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see the fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s not proof that they
are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside the curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world, there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times a thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
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USPS Form 3526-R – Reporting Requirement for Periodical Postage Permit The information below is being published as a requirement to maintain our Periodical Postage Privileges. Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation: Publication Title: Orange County REALTOR®; Publication Number: 1945-2179; Filing date: 10/01/18; Issue Frequency: Bimonthly; Number of Issues Published Annually: 6; Annual subscription Price: $6.61; Complete Mailing Address of Office of Publication, Office of Publisher, Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor, Owner: Orange County REALTORS®, 25552 La Paz Road, Laguna Hills, Orange County, CA 92653-5127; Tax Status: Has not changed during the preceding 12 months; Issue Date
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for Circulation Data: September 2018; The period includes 12 months. Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding Twelve Months: Total Number of Copies: 14,812; Paid Subscriptions, Outside-County: 2,200, In-County: 12,212; Total Paid Circulation 14,412; Nonrequested Distribution: 391, Total Nonrequested Distribution: 391; Total Distribution: 14,803; Copies not Distributed: 7; Total 14,812; Percent Paid: 97.36% Number of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: Total Number of Copies: 14,900; Paid Subscriptions, Outside-County: 2,813, In-County: 11,687; Total Paid Circulation 14,500; Nonrequested Distribution: 390, Total Nonrequested Distribution: 390; Total Distribution: 14,890; Copies not Distributed: 10; Total 14,900; Percent Paid: 97.38%